Engine starting apparatus



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W, R. M. NARDONE V ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 2, 1934 ISnventor Patented May 19, 1935 A ENT" FFl-E" ENGINE STARTING. ABPARATUSY R'omcmM. Nardone, East Orange, N. J.

Original application. February 19, 1929, Serial No. 341,164. Divided and this application November 2, 1934, Serial No. 751,227

'3 Claims. (Cl. 127-179) This invention relates to engine startingapparatus, and. more particularly to startersofthe typeadapted to physically engage and rotate the engine crankshaft, ,or a connection leading there- L, "from.

One of the objects of. the present invention is to, provide novel starting mechanism including a booster magneto.

Another object is to provide novel cranking mechanism for internal combustion engines embodyingmeansfor automatically connecting the startermechanism in. driving relation withthe engine to becranked, I

A further object is to. provide novel engine mcranking means of. the type embodyingkmeans for protecting the operating personor agency against injury from a backfire of the engine The above andother objects will appear more fully here-- after in the detailldescriptionr One embodimentof the present invention is ill'ustratedin the accompanying drawingwherein like reference characters refer to like parts.

throughout the several views Itis to be expressly' understood, however, that the drawing is' -forxpurposes of illustration only and is, not

'desi'gned"as a definition of the limits of the invention; reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

Inthe'drawing: r Figure 1' isan' axial sectional View of one'embodiment of"the'invention.

Figure 2 is za detail viewof'the meshing mecha nism' shown in Fi'gur'e 1; and

Figure 3'-is a detailview', partlyin section, of gs thelocking mechanism; As shown the starter housing" comprisesan outer, section Gil-"adapted to be secured in any swith an internal-spur. gear l5-having a hub 15a which isrotatablymountedin housing section 1L Gearl5. is ..drivably connected to a hollow cylindrical member 'lfiwhich is supportedin the outer housing section, 69. Preferably, ..a-plurality of. 5 cap screws, ,one of which isshown at 9,,are employed to connect the outer face of gear IE-with the inner, end.of cylindrical member 16, The

latteris adapted to rotate an internallythreaded sleeve 11 and, for reasons. to be pointed outmore fully hereafter, the. driving connection. between ers BI and 82 are interposed between the disksand 10,:

the shoulders and 19 respectively.

Yielding means are providedfo-r varying the pressure with. which the disks 18 are held in en-- gagement. As illustrated, theouter surface of sleeve 11 is threaded to receive a nut 83 that has 15,.

operative engagement with a plurality of coil springs 84 which are arranged in an annularseries around sleeve 1'1 and bear at their inner ends against a washer 85 which has abuttingengagement with flange 19 of theioylindrical mem- 20:.

ber 16, By adjusting theposition'of nut83 relative to sleeve 11 the compression of springs 84 and,

hence the pressure between disks I8 is varied.

Sleeve -11 is adapted to rotate a jaw clutch member 86 which is normally disengaged from but is adapted for movement into driving engagement" with'a similar jaw clutch member 81 carried by a rotatable member of the engine to be cranked;

such'as the engine crankshaft or an extension thereof", For this P pose there is positioned 30.:-

at 9| to engage corresponding splines formed in-- teriorly of a laterally extending cylindrical portion92 of jaw clutch member 86.

The starting mechanism embodies automatic means for moving jaw clutch member 86 into driving engagement with member 87, said means being rendered operative at the beginning of the cranking operation and being so constituted that the jaw clutch member 86 acts to returnthe parts to normal position after the engine starts under its own power. To this end there isprovided a rod 93 which extends through jaw clutch member 86, shaft 88, and the hub portion'lBa of gear 15. As shown, rod 93 is rigidly connected to shaft, 88 for rotation therewith as by means of a pin 50 M. The outer end of rod 93 extends freely through a central opening in jaw clutch member 85 and is provided with a nut 95 for maintaining said member in operative. relation. with threaded..shaft..88. Ascoil spring. 95 surrounds.

The outer 5 be associated with member I05.

rod 93 and is interposed between threaded shaft 88 and the hub portion of clutch member 86.

Rigidly attached to rod 93 outwardly of hub 15a is a collar 91 having one or more teeth which normally engage teeth 98 provided on a disk 99 which is slidable longitudinally relative to rod 93 but is held against rotation by means of a plate I00 that is attached by means of screws IN to housing section 1| and is provided with an opening through which teeth 98 loosely extend. Surrounding rod 93 and interposed between disk 99 and a collar I 02 carried by the inner end of said rod is a coil spring I03 which normally maintains disk 99 in engagement with the plate I00. Preferably a thin metal cover I 04, which may be secured in position by the screws IOI surrounds the inner end of rod 93 and encloses spring I03 and disk 99.

Preferably oil seal means are provided for the starting mechanism in order to prevent seepage of oil from the engine crankcase II into the starter housing 69, II. For this purposea light cupshaped member I05 that is preferably formed of metal, is fitted over the outer end of the starter that projects into the engine crankcase and is provided with a flange I06 adapted to be clamped between housing section 69 and the engine crankcase I I. At its outer end member I05 is provided with a central opening slightly larger in diameter than the outer diameter of jaw member 86 and in order to strengthen the metal at this point the same is bent to provide a curved lip I01. If desired, the flexible washer 53 shown in Fig. 2 may A pair of washers I08, one of which is preferably formed of flexible material such as leather, are mounted on rod 93 and held in engagement with the central portion of jaw clutch member 86 by means of spring 96, said washers being adapted to prevent seepage of oil from the engine crankcase through the central opening in the clutch member.

As above suggested, the invention includes means to prevent counter-rotation of cranking shaft I3 in the event that the engine backfires during the cranking operation and while jaw clutch member 86 is in engagement with jaw member 81. For this purpose housing section 69 of the starter may be provided with an opening into which extends a cap I09, (Fig. 1) the cap being flanged as at III) in order to facilitate its attachment to the housing bymeans of screws III. Pivotally mounted within the cap I09 is a pawl II2 which is yieldingly held in engagement with a ratchet wheel II3 constituted by teeth formed on the outer periphery of the internal gear I5. A suitable spring II4 yieldingly maintains pawl H2 in engagement with the ratchet wheel.

Normal rotation of the cranking shaft to effect the cranking operation causes rotation of the ratchet wheel in a direction such that pawl H2 rides freely over the ratchet teeth. If the engine backfires there is a tendency for gear I5 to be rotated in the opposite direction, but said gear is positively locked against rotation in this direction by means of pawl II2, thus preventing counter-rotation of cranking shaft 13. The friction clutch I8 permits relative rotation between the parts whereby injury to the same is avoided.

The starting mechanism also includes a booster magneto II5 havingv an armature shaft II6 which is adapted to be rotated at high speed from the cranking shaft I3. For this purpose the latter is provided with a transversely extending pin III which extends into lonigtudinal slots H8 in the cylindrical extension of a gear member I I9 which is rotatably mounted in a gear case I20 secured in any suitable manner to the housing section II. On its outer face gear member H9 is provided with a laterally extending portion I2I carrying a transverse pin I22. Gear II9 meshes with a pinion I55 on a shaft I56 which also carries a gear I51, all of which constitute parts of a suitable step-up gear train mounted in case I20, the high speed end I58 of the gear train being connected in any suitable manner to armature shaft II6.

When it is desired to crank the engine shaft I3 is rotated by suitable means, such as a hand crank engageable with pin I22 of gear extension I2I. The rotation of the shaft I3 is transmitted through pinion I4, gear I5, cylindrical member I6 and friction clutch I8 to sleeve 11. R0- tationof. the latter tends to rotate the shaft 88 and jaw clutch member 86 splined thereto. At this time, however, the teeth of collar 91 are in engagement with teeth 98 and rotation of shaft 88 is thus prevented, but due to the threaded engagement of the latter with sleeve 11, said' shaft moves to the left as viewed in Fig. 5, carrying therewith rod 93, spring I 03 being compressed between disk 99 and collar I02. Simultaneously, spring 96 yieldingly moves clutch member 86 into full meshing engagement with clutch member 81 at which time the collar 91 has moved out of engagement with teeth 98 and stop nut 89 has engaged shoulder provided interiorly of sleeve 11. Since the shaft 88 is now locked in engagement with sleeve 11 these parts rotate in unison and this motion is transmitted through splines 9| to the jaw clutch member 86 whereby the engine crankshaft is rotated.

After the engine starts under its own power the crankshaft rotates at a speed greater than that of jaw, clutch member 86 whereupon the inclination of the teeth of said jaw members is effective effective to return rod 93, shaft 88 and jaw clutch member 86 to normal position. In the event that the teeth of collar 91 abut against the ends of" mechanism of the type embodying automatic means for moving the jaw clutch member, which is normally in non-driving position, into driving engagement with the engine tobe started or cranked. The apparatus may be so constructed I as to be actuated from either side thereof or from a point in the rear. Means are provided for protecting the operating person or agency against injury from a backfire of the engine.

The starter of the present invention is particularly adapted for use on aeroplane engines, but as will be understood by those skilled in the art, its use is not restricted thereto. Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement and certain parts may be used without other parts. Reference will therefore be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

This application is a a division of my co-pending application No. 341,164, filed February 19, 1929.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an engine engaging member and an actuating shaft rotatable about parallel axes, driving connections between said actuating shaft and engaging member including a second shaft having a splined connection with said engaging member and movable axially therewith, a rod rotatable with said second shaft, a toothed col1ar on said rod, and means engageable with said collar to prevent rotation of said rod and second shaft during axial movement of the engine engaging member.

2. In combination with an engine engaging member and an actuating shaft rotatable about parallel axes, driving connections between said actuating shaft and engaging member including a second shaft having a yieldable connection with said engine engaging member, a rod rotatable with said second shaft, and means surrounding said rod to oppose rotation of said second shaft during engine engaging movement of the engine engaging member.

3. In combination with an engine engaging member and an actuating shaft rotatable about parallel axes, driving connections between said actuating shaft and engaging member including a second shaft having a telescopic connection with said engine engaging member, a mesh controlling part projecting from and rotatable with said second shaft, and means operating upon said projecting part to oppose rotation of said second shaft during axial movement of the engine engaging member.

ROMEO M. NARDONE. 

